Old edition of NCERT Books are still high in demand in terms of UPSC IAS Exam Preparation because it has extensive coverage of the topics given in the UPSC IAS Exam syllabus. The IAS aspirants find it difficult to get an old edition NCERT book from market due to its unavailability in the market.Here, we have provided Multiple Choice Questions of Medieval Indian History which have been created from the old edition of NCERT book, go and check your level of your Preparation of IAS Prelims Exam.

1. Consider the following statements regarding the political and administrative developments in India:I. The first half of the seventeenth century in India was, on the whole, an era of progress and growth.II. During the period, the Mughal empire was ruled by two capable rulers, Jahangir (1605-27), and Shah Jahan (1628.1658).III. In southern India, the states of Bijapur and Golconda were able to provide conditions of internal peace and cultural.Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?a. Only Ib. I and IIc. I and IIId. All of the above

Answer: d

Explanation: The first half of the seventeenth century in India was, on the whole, an era of progress and growth. During the period, the Mughal empire was ruled by two capable rulers, Jahangir (1605-27), and Shah Jahan (1628.1658). In southern India, too, as we have seen, the states of Biiapur and Golconda were able to provide conditions of internal peace and cultural growth. The Mughal rulers consolidated the administrative system which had developed under Akbar. They maintained the alliance with the Rajputs, and tried to farther broaden the political base of the empire by allying with powerful sections such as the Afghans and the Marathas.

2. Consider the following statements regarding the political and administrative developments under the Mughal rulers:I. The Mughal rulers consolidated the administrative system which had developed under Akbar.II. They maintained the alliance with the Rajputs, and tried to farther broaden the political base of the empire by allying with powerful sections such as the Afghans and the Marathas.III. The Mughals played a positive role in stabilising India’s relations with neighbouring Asian powers such as Iran, the Uzbeks, and the Ottoman Turks, thereby opening up greater avenues for India’s foreign trade.Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?a. Only Ib. I and IIc. I and IIId. All of the above

Answer: d

Explanation: The Mughal rulers consolidated the administrative system which had developed under Akbar. They maintained the alliance with the Rajputs, and tried to farther broaden the political base of the empire by allying with powerful sections such as the Afghans and the Marathas. They embellished their capitals with beautiful buildings, many of them in marble, and tried to make the Mughal court the centre of the cultural life in the country. The Mughals played a positive role in stabilising India’s relations with neighbouring Asian powers such as Iran, the Uzbeks, and the Ottoman Turks, thereby opening up greater avenues for India’s foreign trade. Trade concessions given to various European trading companies were also aimed at promoting India’s foreign trade. But a number of negative features came to the surface during the period. The growing prosperity of the ruling classes did not filter down to peasants and workers.

3. Consider the following statements about Nur Jahan:I. Nur Jahan’s first marriage was with an Iranian, Sher Afghan and his death in a clash with the Mughal Governor of Bengal.II. After the death of her first husband, Nur Jahan stayed in Agra with an elderly relation of Jahangir, and her marriage with Jahangir four years later in 1611.III. Jahangir's chance meeting with her in the Meena Bazar and marrying her was not so unusual.Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?a. Only Ib. I and IIc. I and IIId. All of the above

Answer: d

Explanation: The story of Nur Jahan’s life, her first marriage was with an Iranian, Sher Afghan and his death in a clash with the Mughal Governor of Bengal, Nur Jahan’s stay in Agra with an elderly relation of Jahangir, and her marriage with Jahangir four years later (1611) are too well known to be repeated in detail here. Sober historians do not believe that Jahangir was responsible for the death o her first husband. Jahangir's chance meeting with her in the Meena Bazar and marrying her was not so unusual. Her family was a respectable one and her father, Itimaduddaula, had been made joint diwan by Jahangir in the first year of his reign. After a brief eclipse due to the involvement of one of his sons with Khusrau's rebellion, he had been restored to his position. Having been tested in this office, and following Nur Jahan's marriage with Jahangir, he was raised to the office of the chief diwan. Other members or the family also benefited from this alliance, their mansabs being augmented.

4. In which of the following year Khurram revolted against his father Jahangir?a. 1621b. 1622c. 1625d. 1630

Answer: b

Explanation: In the year 1621 Khurram (Shah Jahan) killed his brother who a rebellion prisoner of his father, Jahangir. In the year 1622, Shah Jahan drove into rebellion against his father.

5. During the reign of Jahangir, “junta”, a group was formed by whom among the following?a. Khusraub. Khurramc. Nur Jahand. Asaf Khan

Answer: c

Explanation: Some modern historians are of the opinion that along with her father and brother, and in alliance with Khurram, Nur Jahan formed a group or “junta” which “managed” Jahangir so that without its backing and support no one could advance in his career, and that this led to the division of the court into two factions—the Nur Jahan “junta” and its opponents.

6. Who among the following had received the title of “Sultan of Rum”?a. Jahangirb. Usmanli Turksc. Shah Jahand. Asaf Khan

Answer: b

Explanation: Perhaps the most powerful empire in West Asia at the time was that of the Ottoman Turks. The Ottoman or the Usmanli Turks, so called after the name of their first ruler, Usman (d.1326), had overrun Asia Minor and Eastern Europe, and also conquered Syria, and Egypt and Arabia by 1529. They had received the title “Sultan of Rum” from the shadowy Caliph living at Cairo. Later, they also assumed the title of Padshah-i-Islam.

7. Consider the following statements regarding the foreign policies of Mughals empire:I. The Ottoman threat from the west made the Persians keen to befriend the Mughals, particularly when they had to face an aggressive Uzbek power in the east.II. The Mughals refused to be drawn into a tripartite Ottoman, Mughal, Uzbek alliance against the Persians as it would have upset the Asian balance of power.III. The Mughals were chary of a closer relationship with Turkey since they were not prepared to countenance the claim to superiority made by the Turkish sultan as successor to the Caliph.Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?a. Only Ib. I and IIc. I and IIId. All of the above

Answer: d

Explanation: The Ottoman threat from the west made the Persians keen to befriend the Mughals, particularly when they had to face an aggressive Uzbek power in the east. The Mughals refused to be drawn into a tripartite Ottoman, Mughal, and Uzbek alliance against the Persians as it would have upset the Asian balance of power and left them alone to face the might of the Uzbeks Alliance with Iran was also helpful in promoting trade with Central Asia. If the Mughals had a stronger navy, they might, perhaps, have sought a closer alliance with Turkey which was also a naval power and was engaged in a struggle against the navies of the European Powers in the Mediterranean. As it was, the Mughals were chary of a closer relationship with Turkey since they were not prepared to countenance the claim to superiority made by the Turkish sultan as successor to the Caliph. These were some of the factors which shaped the foreign policy of the Mughals.

8. Consider the following statements regarding the strategic and economic importance of Qandhar for the Mughals:I. After the conquest of Sindh and Baluchistan by Akbar, the strategic and economic importance of Qandhar for the Mughals increased.II. Qandhar was a rich and fertile province and was the hub of the movement of men and goods between India and Central Asia.III. The trade from Central Asia to Multan via Qandhar, and thence down the river Indus to the sea steadily gained in importance.Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?a. Only Ib. I and IIc. I and IIId. All of the above

Answer: d

Explanation: After the conquest of Sindh and Baluchistan by Akbar, the strategic and economic importance of Qandhar for the Mughals increased. Qandhar was a rich and fertile province and was the hub of the movement of men and goods between India and Central Asia. The trade from Central Asia to Multan via Qandhar, and thence down the river Indus to the sea steadily gained in importance, because the roads across Iran were frequently disturbed due to wars and internal commotions. Akbar wanted to promote trade on this route, and pointed out to Abdullah Uzbek that it was an alternative route for pilgrims and the goods traffic to Mecca. Taking all these factors into account, it would appear that Qandhar was not as important to the Persians as to the Mughals. For Iran, Qandhar was “more of an outpost, an important one no doubt, rather than a vital bastion in a defence system”.

9. In which of the following year Qandhar came under the control of the Mughal ruler, Babur?a. 1515b. 1520c. 1522d. 1525

Answer: c

Explanation: Qandhar came under Babur's control in 1522 when the Uzbeks were threatening Khorasan once again. No serious objection to the Mughal conquest of Qandhar was raised by the Persians in view of this situation. However, when Humayun sought shelter at the court of Shah Tahmasp, the Iranian monarch agreed to help him provided he transferred Qandhar to Iran after its conquest from his half-brother, Kamran. Humayun had little choice but to agree.